With expenditure on military being one of the few areas not facing massive government cut backs we should ask: is our world becoming a safer place?

What consolation can be sought in the world’s awesome military might by the parents of the 7.6 million children under five who die each year, mostly in developing countries?

What consolation is it in a world where 925 m people do not have enough to eat, 98% of whom live in developing countries? What peace does it bring them?

In a world where millions are being displaced from their homes due to climate change related factors: droughts, shoreline erosion, coastal flooding and agricultural disruption, will the military provide them with new homes?

The hawks and their accountants would probably argue that this is an acceptable price to pay to maintain national and international security.

But, what do they mean by security? What is true security? The UN Development Programme said in 1994: ‘Human security is a child who did not die, a disease that did not spread, a job that was not cut, an ethnic tension that did not explode in violence, a dissident who was not silenced. Human security is not a concern with weapons - it is a concern with human life and dignity.’ That is good enough for me.

In Greenpeace we have always worked for true security; it is at the heart of what we stand for. We believe that instead of spending vast amounts of money – and, perhaps worse, human ingenuity -- on the machinery of war, we need to direct our financial and intellectual resources towards true security. We need to tackle the unprecedented threat posed by climate change in increasing pressures on basic resources: food, water, energy and land. Pressures which are already triggering conflicts, war and suffering.

There is a lot of money being squandered in the name of security, few nations can be said to fully have their priorities right. But, lets look to those who spend the most. Lets look to those who are charged on behalf of the global community with keeping the peace. Lets look at the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: China, France, Russia, the UK and the US. Looking at the data provided by SIPRI, there are no big surprises there. The top five big spenders are the same five countries. The US is topping the list with nearly half of the total global spending. The other four lag considerably behind but when added they make up the five national trillion dollar military spending club!

Putting it into a little perspective: it’s a bit like a macho cliché from many war movies that somewhere there is a bullet out there with your name on it. Well, according to Oxfam there are actually two, or more. This year two bullets are being produced for every person in the world.

A lot of money is being spent on preparing for war, how much is being spent on preventing it? How much is being spent on mitigating the risks of climate change? Very little by comparison and nowhere near enough.

In 2009, at the Global Climate Conference in Copenhagen the heads of state of the developed countries pledged 30bn US dollars to the developing world for the period 2010-2012 for climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. They promised that would increase to an annual fund of US$100bn by 2020 which sounds like a lot until you make the comparison: 10bn a year is 1% of the military budgets of the five permanent members of the Security Council, while 100bn is only 10%. The US alone could meet the 100bn commitment and still be ahead of its nearest military spending competitor, China, by half a trillion dollars.

Changes wrought by climate change increase the threat of war and conflict and pose an unprecedented threat to true security. To secure true security we must tackle the climate threat and invest in green solutions.

For example, how about investing in ocean protection? Scientists estimate that conserving 20-30% of our oceans would cost between $5bn and $19bn a year. In return a million new jobs would be created, sustainable fish catch worth $70-80bn a year promoted and further ecosystem services worth a gross value of $4.5-6.7tn a year!

How about saving our forests? The global economy is losing between $2tn and $5tn dollars each year due to deforestation. The cost of halving deforestation is estimated at $15bn a year.

And last, but certainty not least, how about an energy revolution in the power sector? Moving away from climate-destroying fossil fuels and dangerous nuclear power, would require additional annual investments of some $280bn. These are investments that will more than pay back in the form of saved fuel costs and additional jobs created. And, it does not take a rocket scientist to know this would fundamentally reduce the threat of war by reducing our dependence of fossil fuels.

An extraordinary amount of money, imagination and human ingenuity goes into preparing for and fighting wars. Just imagine what could be achieved if the same energy, imagination and ingenuity was invested in peace, a green peace.

p.s. That statement you made, ...the next one will be stuffed, could very well be perceived as a threat. I hope Greenpeace will turn your isp addres...

p.s. That statement you made, ...the next one will be stuffed, could very well be perceived as a threat. I hope Greenpeace will turn your isp address over to the authorities and have them investigate you and your intentions. Please be careful Kumi, we might have a real lunatic on our hands here.

I am glad to hear you don't have a record of physical violence. And I agree that words and peaceful action are the best way to change the world.

Please be kind enough to refrain from personal attacks and off topic comments while posting to this website. You are welcome to disagree with Greenpeace positions, choice in leadership, etc, but we need to keep it civil and on topic.

Here's the community policy we follow...
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/Help/Community-policy/

Personally, I feel you're being pretty unfair to Kumi. In particular, one reason he was hired is because he's an inspiring speaker. It's part of his job to help get the message out, and something I've seen him do well.

Sun: You told me that Kumi Naidoo's hungerstrike has not saved a single child nor done any good. What an absurd thing to say, ...and you know it. This video alone, in his 7th day had more than 33,000 hits. You really should read some of the comments on the page, ...how people were inspired by what he said and determined to take action. You don't know how much good his hunger strike did. There is no way for you to know how this has moved people. Andrew is right, ...and thank you Andrew for your excellent comment, ...Kumi is a very inspiring and heartfelt speaker. He certainly inspires me. I'm truly sorry you can't see that Sun. You are simply trying to destroy this good man to get what you want. Please watch the video and read the caption:
"Kumi Naidoo, honorary president of CIVICUS and co-chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, is in day seven of a 21-day hunger strike in support of the struggling people of Zimbabwe. He recorded this video message from Johannesburg to urge Avaaz members throughout Africa and the world to join the solidarity action by pledging to fast for a day. Kumi will bring the messages and names of fasters around the world to the African Union summit on Sunday, February 1 and urge other African leaders to stand up to Robert Mugabe."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMavByxvgzA&feature=related

Sun: I wish you Love. No, really I do. There are good things and good people in this world too, ...like Andrew, Eoin, ...and yes Kumi. My daughter...

Sun: I wish you Love. No, really I do. There are good things and good people in this world too, ...like Andrew, Eoin, ...and yes Kumi. My daughter that was seated by chance next to a group of Greenpeace activists a year or so ago in a restaurant in Amsterdam. She was so inspired by them, their planning, excitement, ...their Love of what they were about to do. She still talks about it. What I'm saying, is please be more positive, ...a team player if you will. We're all in this together and doing the best we can. I think you will find this is where you belong, ...with us, ...not against us. Youre a very bright person, ...we can use your help.

"it is their job and a career opportunity." If you only knew. I've known Andrew and Eoin for many years now, ...been inside their hear...

"it is their job and a career opportunity." If you only knew. I've known Andrew and Eoin for many years now, ...been inside their hearts, their hopes, commitment, and wisdom. Right now there are Greenpeace activists in the Amazon, where 4 rainforest environmentalists were just murdered. Sure, I'll leave you alone, ...if you leave Kumi and my heroes alone, ...yeah, ...they have a job to do, ...and I have mine.
And I have dontated to MSF and as with Greenpeace have supported them in many ways, ...such as:
This is two series' of MSF Year in Pictures. All the music on the many pages are by a dear friend, John Young.
http://www.gratefulchild.org/projects/gcweb/gc/html/audio/MSF2010YearInPicturesPart5.html

This is another Grateful Child Hero of the Month/MSF tribute, a 12 year old boy that carried his sister 50 miles from Darfur to Chad
http://www.gratefulchild.org/projects/gcweb/gc/html/stories_opinions/hero.html

Onward, a Greenpeace tribute and the Warriors of the Rainbow mantra
http://www.gratefulchild.org/projects/gcweb/gc/html/onward/

My dear friend Karen and her 20th anniversary with Greenpeace, Grateful Child's new Hero of the Month and video
http://www.gratefulchild.org/projects/gcweb/gc/html/stories_opinions/KarenHeroOfTheMonth.html

Just one more thing, ...for you Andrew and Eoin. I have seen many times the things people have said to you, ...the mean and hurtful things, ...and th...

Just one more thing, ...for you Andrew and Eoin. I have seen many times the things people have said to you, ...the mean and hurtful things, ...and through it all, time after time, ...as true Warriors of the Rainbow, you stood tall, ...champions among men, with Love and forgiveness, ...and a better reason in your hearts. You grace this earth and light this world. I Love you both my dear friends.

Jesus!
Guys, please. Enough now. Let Dr. Kumi Naidoo's personal history and actions rest now, however controversial they may be. He is his own person, and answers to his own conscience. Perhaps his conscience has nothing against his actions, perhaps it does. It does not matter.
Greenpeace (and Dr. Naidoo) do their job as they see that it should be done. If we disagree, then we disagree. But we do not need to go delving into their history, past, antecedents, etcetera. That way lies hatred and strife.
Grateful Child: I too appreciate the work that Greenpeace and its members have done, but I see no call or cause to speak of them as you do. You give the impression of a cult follower, a fanatic who has no thought in his mind but the glory and goodness of his leaders. That is more likely to be counter-productive than otherwise.
Sun: I agree with you when you say that the time has come for a new Greenpeace, for the now is different to the then. A new and modern Greenpeace - perhaps a completely new group, perhaps the old one reborn - is needed now. And I also share your puzzlement that you have shown here. But, as Andrew Davies said, it is but respect to keep it civil when speaking of someone on their organisation's website. Thank you, Sun.
Cheers, all.

Hey Abigor,
I simply can't take any further "...hey guys, let's cut defense-budget by 100 Billion and give it to Africa" or ...

Hey Abigor,
I simply can't take any further "...hey guys, let's cut defense-budget by 100 Billion and give it to Africa" or giving the impressiion Near East could be saved via night...if not Obama is a bad president.

I have such a hard time reading this stuff again and again for the last years...I simply believe this has to stop, and I would appreciate it more than anyone...

I tried to express myself in a different way before this because I am fully aware that is not the best stage...I tried, but as I found out it is simply not working with being one person...you need to be backed up by public to be heard especially since some people have perfectly adopted to the Savior Industrial Complex.

Abigor: This is a listing of just a few of my cults and people I actively support:
Greenpeace
Amnesty International
MSF
Child...

Abigor: This is a listing of just a few of my cults and people I actively support:
Greenpeace
Amnesty International
MSF
Children International
Humane Society of the United States
350.org
CREDO
SEVA
Anna Baltzer
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Scores of Jewish organizations against Israeli occupation
Scores of good musicians whith something to say
God's Love (that which I find in all the above mentioned)

I do my best to give them support and encouragement to go on. Fault me if you like, but my work will continue.